11 years for cannabis

[Brian Ellis]

Briton Gareth Norster, 30, was sentenced to 11 years and Stefanos Mendonis, 34, to three and a half years imprisonment.

Both men, from Larnaca, were involved in a drug smuggling case, along with two others, last September in Aradippou whereby six and a half kilos of cannabis, half a kilo of cannabis resin and some ecstasy pills were found stored in three oxygen cylinders.

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/cannabis/briton-and-cypriot-jailed-drugs-operation/20120904

[Umfriend]

Outrageous.

[Jammrock]

Outrageous.

I know, they should have gotten at least 15 years with the X.

[Umfriend]

LOL, close but no cigar!

[Brian Ellis]

LOL, close but no cigar!

Wouldn't want a cigar from them

[Umfriend]

Neither would I but I don't want them to go to jail for selling them either.

[Brian Ellis]

Neither would I but I don't want them to go to jail for selling them either.

Very justified. I'm surprised the other got off so lightly. Zero tolerance here, as it should be.

[Umfriend]

Well, I'm pretty much for freedom for adults and that includes the right to buy drugs and sell them to people of age. You know, like we do with nicotine, tobacco and porn.

But we've discussed this before.

[dZeus]

Very justified. I'm surprised the other got off so lightly. Zero tolerance here, as it should be.

Yeah, zero tolerance, works great! It's solved the drug problems in the US, and it has fixed alcohol abuse, prostitution and gambling in most places in the world at least somewhere in the past (or present).

and I'm sure it'll keep fixing these sort of problems in future!

Most hardened criminals are very much in favour of zero tolerance too... what's not to like?

[KRSESQ]

Well, you have to admit, six-and-a-half kilos is a lot of pot, and half-a-kilo is a LOT of resin! Street value will vary with location, of course. It's going to be quite high anywhere.

(Not that I'd know...)

And it doesn't speak well of their intelligence that they were doing their smuggling in a country with some of the toughest drug laws in the world. Actually that's probably the same sentence they'd get in these parts for the same crime.

And since they've been locked up, two more guys have already popped up under the radar to pick up the slack.

Given what it costs to investigate, arrest, try and convict and incarcerate the smugglers (and their seemingly endless line of successors), one wonders if a 15-20% tax on the $hit might be a smarter option.

[Umfriend]

15-20%? Over here, I really believe but speculate, it's quite a bit more on tobacco and alcohol. Increased freedom, better government budget and far less, if any, vicious drug lords taking money.

But he, we need to be rational about this, don't we?

[Brian Ellis]

Yeah, zero tolerance, works great! It's solved the drug problems in the US, and it has fixed alcohol abuse, prostitution and gambling in most places in the world at least somewhere in the past (or present).

and I'm sure it'll keep fixing these sort of problems in future!

Most hardened criminals are very much in favour of zero tolerance too... what's not to like?

Interesting! Alcohol is not a problem here except amongst a very small minority of teenagers, mostly British tourists in places like Ayia Napa, and a few football hooligans. A blind eye is turned on the former but a crackdown is starting on the latter. The ordinary citizen is generally a moderate drinker even though alcohol, even spirits, is dirt cheap (a cheap bottle of Scotch whisky, brandy, vodka, ouzo or zivania may be ~€8 or less)

Prostitution is a real problem, closely associated with people trafficking, mostly from E. Europe. Pressure from the EU is being applied but with little visible effect, as yet. Yes, room for improvement here.

Gambling is an inherent disease here and it has got out of hand in the past few years, even down to gang shootings (5 shot dead recently in Ayia Napa). Quote from Sunday's newspaper:

Gambling raid

POLICE arrested 10 people caught gambling in a Paphos betting shop, it was announced yesterday. Nine of the individuals caught in the Friday evening raid have been charged in writing and released police said. The owner of the betting shop will be charged at a later stage. Officers seized 123 chips and 104 playing cards, the police said.

Casino busted

LARNACA police yesterday busted an illegal casino, operating on the Dhekelia road.

Twenty-five people – 15 customers and 10 staff – found inside the establishment during the 3am raid were charged and released police said.

Inside, officers found and seized €5,235 in cash, six blackjack and poker tables, a roulette table and a large number of chips and playing cards. A Larnaca police spokesman said such operations will continue in a bid to stamp out the phenomenon.

This is small stuff but daily occurrences, but a lot of it and high profile in an attempt to stamp it out, but there are legal betting shops on every street corner, in every village. There are three in the village where I live, for 1500 inhabitants. One problem is the dividing line between legal and illegal. The first case above seems to have been a simple game of poker or suchlike. Sentences are probably not severe enough to deter.

[Umfriend]

The ordinary citizen is generally a moderate drinker even though alcohol, even spirits, is dirt cheap (a cheap bottle of Scotch whisky, brandy, vodka, ouzo or zivania may be ~€8 or less)

So a substance that is detrimental, addictive, cheap and legal causes few problems but another that is (rather less) detrimental, (somewhat less) addictive, expensive because it is illegal that raises issues.

I guess that's the way it should be. Even though most pot-smokers are moderate users.

Can I say: "Think man, think!"?

[Brian Ellis]

So a substance that is detrimental, addictive, cheap and legal causes few problems but another that is (rather less) detrimental, (somewhat less) addictive, expensive because it is illegal that raises issues.

Young people who smoke cannabis for years run the risk of a significant and irreversible reduction in their IQ, research suggests.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19372456

What are the health effects?

The health effects if you smoke it are similar to the effects of tobacco. There is increased risk of mouth cancer, lung cancer, heart disease and bronchitis.

In a very small minority of people, dope can trigger serious mental illness. It is best to avoid it if you have a family history of schizophrenia or similar illnesses.

Likewise, if you smoke heavily over a long period you will feel like you are in a permanent brain fog. You could end up with serious paranoia as well.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/advice/factfile_az/cannabis

There's increasing evidence that cannabis use is linked to a number of health risks. It damages the ability to concentrate, decreases motivation and more than occasional use in teenagers can affect psychological development. Users can become anxious, suspicious and even paranoid. Heavy use increases the risk of serious psychiatric illness.

Users of skunk, a stronger and increasingly more available form of cannabis, are seven times more likely to develop a psychotic illness, such as schizophrenia, than people not using cannabis or using the more traditional forms. Cannabis also interferes with coordination, causing problems with balance, walking and driving.

There are other side effects of the drug, but they vary considerably and are less predictable, partly because cannabis has more than 400 active ingredients. They may include effects on the heart, such as increased heart rate and blood pressure, and damage to fertility. People who smoke cannabis are also exposed to the toxic chemicals in tobacco smoke.

People may become dependent on cannabis and find it difficult to stop using it, experiencing unpleasant withdrawal symptoms if they do stop such as cravings, agitation, mood changes, sleep problems, appetite disturbance and other symptoms.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/emotional_health/addictions/cannabis.shtml

Capisce?

[Umfriend]

Yes, Young people. As in under 18 and, in this research, starting as early as 13. Persistent users. Try that with alcohol.

I wish I could find the actual article.

From the same BBC article:

"It is such a special study that I'm fairly confident that cannabis is safe for over-18 brains, but risky for under-18 brains."

Alcohol on the other hand is never safe. (Have to admit, I'm not putting my money on cannabis being "safe" for over 18s either, just not as bad as).

Regardless of my position that as a grown adult I am free to mess up my life if I want to.

As an aside, do you believe attempted suicide and assistance with suicide should be illegal?